INdeep with Erin Cox

INdeep is a monthly series of interviews with people that inspire me. They may be coaches, healers, teachers or wellbeing advocates and experts.

I ask these guiding lights to share their stories of darkness, fear, growth and triumph that have lead them along their journey and I then ask them to go deep… sharing their current struggles and secrets that they don’t normally share with the world.

Stories of courage, honesty, vulnerability and the abolishment of “perfect”.

Every month we will have a rare opportunity to see the person behind the teacher, the human behind the bright lights and struggles that have lead to their success. You won’t want to miss these intimate musings that are not often shared beyond covert journal entries.

I mainly work with women through my small circle of soul-based entrepreneurs called the Enlightened Empire Builders, which is open for enrollment two times each year with the next group starting in this month.

How did you find your path to help and inspire others?

For me the primary reason I wanted to inspire others was a deep inner longing to and knowing that my professional life in water resources science and engineering wasn’t allowing me the opportunity to encourage people directly. While working as a business development manager for one of the world’s largest engineering firms, I thrived on the opportunities that I had to nurture relationships and create new business partnerships.

Once I became a mother, I had a deeper desire to fulfill my purpose and directly improve the lives others. When this whole “longing for more” process started, I was frustrated. I knew I was destined to do something to help humanity, to love, and to serve. But I had no idea exactly what it was.

Through my morning meditation and prayer, this fuzzy picture became more and more clear. Once I became clear that my passions were writing, speaking, and working directly with people, I was able to take small steps toward my dream life. I was able to write and publish my first book and then I because an entrepreneur and went into business for myself, creating a business out of my writing, speaking, and consulting.

I was able to combine my years of experience creating relationships and business success for the engineering with my spiritual side, and help soul-guided entrepreneurs create abundance while using their unique gifts to make the world a better place.

Are any of those old challenges still playing out for you?

I regularly have my old fears come up – fears of failure, lack, and of being really vulnerable. The good news is that I now have the tools to recognize when my mind starts to go down a negative path.

Being an entrepreneur is a brave thing to do and there are always things that will push you to your limits. Every time I am ready to jump to the next level, I experience a few moments of paralyzing fear. The trick is to meditate, take care of myself, and just move forward despite the fear.

Tell us about a recent challenge that you’ve been facing in private.

The biggest challenge that I am facing now is that I am going through a divorce.

I was married to a man who made plenty of money, so I was able to grow my business slowly and organically. I will now need to increase my business’s profit to the place where I can support myself and my three young children, and my goal is to do it in only 20 hours a week so I can lead a balanced and healthy life.

On one hand, I feel more powerful and motivated to do big things, but there is another large part that feels very vulnerable and afraid! It’s a big responsibility, and on my better days I know I am completely up for it, but there area also days when I feel completely overwhelmed and wonder how it’s all going to work out. The key right now for me is to just take care of myself and trust that God has my back!

What is the next step for you?

I plan to just take my life day by day right now. I feel most empowered when I am balancing hard work with a lot of downtime with my kids, treating my body well, and enjoying my friends.

The people who love me make me feel empowered just by being with them. Asking for help is very difficult for me, but I have some incredible people in my life who have made it easy for me to reach out.

I also feel empowered after my morning meditation practice and when I make a comprehensive to-do list, followed by my affirmations for the day and my “top-three” list. I am more inspired to make progress when I complete my huge task list just three items at a time so I don’t get too overwhelmed.

Erin Cox is an author, speaker, and business advisor for entrepreneurs who are out to make the world a better place with their work! Find out more about her and sign up for her mailing list here.